Loving Yew

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From the village of Defynnog, beneath the Brecon Beacons, comes a new contender in an old, old race. An ancient yew tree in the village churchyard is being roused from a slumber measured in thousands of years by champions who believe it is the oldest tree in Europe.

How many thousand? The claim is five. That would make the twin-trunked St Cynog’s yew as old as the first circles to appear on the site of what became Stonehenge, and at least 2,000 years older than the Fortingall yew in Perthshire, until now thought to be the oldest living thing in